Chapter 592: Law and Order
Every eighth day was ‘community day’. Most everyone got together in the morning to talk and socialize, and the afternoon was for community efforts. From sweeping the roads clear of snow and ash to digging wells, there was always something we could band together to get done. The goblins were strangely enthusiastic about the whole thing, shovels and mud flying everywhere as they worked twice as hard as the humans next to them.
I had no idea what that was about, but it lit a competitive spirit under everyone’s asses, and I was all for it. With the approach of winter and the dearth of activities to do, my mind was wandering to all the weapons I had stored, and the slow increase of raids from hungrier and hungrier predators. Starvation and desperation was making them attack anything that could be dinner, and was making them dangerous.
Many Exterreri traditions made so much more sense after the world had ended. The soldier-farmer one was blaring in my mind, and I should probably approach Skye and ask when she planned on drilling everyone in the basics.
When raiders and bandits came, being able to form a shield wall could mean the difference between life and death for the farmers… assuming the Eventide Eclipse were on a trip. If we were around, well… nobody died without me saying so. Then again, a bandit didn’t need to kill anyone to shove them aside and grab everything in a house, and if I wasn’t paying attention, my healing would extend to the bandit as well! The downside of [Persistent Casting] and the image I’d set - I was healing everyone, friend or elvenoid foe.
I tended not to go to the morning community events, and I was hanging out with Auri in our cottage, idly chatting.
I jumped up as I sensed Iona sprinting to the house.
“Auri.” I said, my voice tense, my eyes flickering over to Iona’s armor on the stand. Made the room cramped, but in an emergency, it was the best place for it. The phoenix fluttered to my shoulder, staring at the door intently.
Iona skidded to a halt right outside the door and carefully opened it. Her eyes were beaming and her smile was infectious.
“Elaine! Elaine! There’s going to be a wedding next week! They asked me to officiate!”